Writers, Poets and Attendees of the 2008 AWP Conference.

Welcome writers attending the 2008 AWP Conference! Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald spent their honeymoon in 1920 at the Biltmore Hotel at Madison Avenue and 43rd Street, only a few blocks from the convention hotels. Click on POETS in the society section of myurbansherpa.net and check out other NYC literary getaways.

I live in an East Village tenement apartment overlooking Marble Cemetery (http://www.nycmc.org/). I know five other poets who share this unusually peaceful panorama of linden and mulberry trees. Uriah R. Scribner, father of Charles of publishing fame, is resting here. No doubt, numerous writers live on these two cemetery-facing blocks, since as a tribe and profession we permeate New York City. We are the dead and the living, always have been. And subsequently, New York is an ideal place either to start your literary journey or, if you’re a card-carrying member in another part of the country or world, to join our vibrant festivities!

There are some obvious, and some not so obvious, ways to enjoy the historical New York literati experience:

Bar hopping

Apartment-building pilgrimages

Visiting cemeteries

Attending events, readings, panel discussions, and book parties

Browsing bookstores and special library collections

Of course, NYC contains copious out-of-the-ordinary locales with singular stories attached to them. That’s why each month we’re inviting a New York City poet or novelist to determine the place that for them poetry (or prose) in society or poetry in solitude springs eternal.

Bars

The White Horse Tavern (567 Hudson Street between Perry and West 11th Streets)

With Dylan Thomas’ (who died at St Vincent’s Hospital–7th Avenue and 12th Street–where Edna St. Vincent Millay was born) portraits plastered on the walls, no one will ever forget that The White Horse was his waterhole. Other frequenters were Norman Mailer, Thomas Wolfe, Bob Dylan, and Jim Morrison.

The Round Table at the Algonquin Hotel

59 West 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, (212) 840-6800

Vicious, drunken repartee of Vanity Fair writers Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, and Robert E. Sherwood is a big reason that this pristine and elegant restaurant is now a National Literary Landmark.

Apartment-Building Pilgrimages

The home of Willa Cather, where she wrote My Antonia–5 Bank Street

The home of e.e. cummings–4 Patchin Place.

T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Allen Tate, and Dylan Thomas visited.

Djuna Barnes lived at 5 Patchin Place.

Theodore Dreiser wrote An American Tragedy when he lived at 118 W. 11th Street

Allen Ginsberg wrote his famous poem “Kaddish” when he lived at 170 E. 2nd Street.

The home of Jack Kerouac where he wrote the first draft of On the Road—149 W. 21st Street.

The home of William S. Burroughs—115th Street and Morningside Drive Apartments. In the summer of 1944 Burroughs, Kerouac, and Ginsberg at this location declared the birth of the Beats.

Visiting Cemeteries

Trinity CemeteryUpper Riverside Drive, (212) 368-1600

Here Ralph Ellison is buried.

Ferncliff CemeterySecor Road, Hartsdale (in Westchester), (914) 693-4700

Buried here: James Baldwin, Preston Sturges, Lionel Trilling, John Lennon, Malcolm XWoodlawn CemeteryWebster Avenue & E. 233rd Street, Bronx, (718) 920-0500Buried here: Herman Melville and Countee Collen

Readings / Bookstores

Events, Readings, Panel Discussions, and Book Parties (A note about attending readings and events in NYC: Arrive on time because, depending on the event, it might get crowded, but most reading start 20-30 minutes late.)

92nd Street Y     

92nd Street and Lexington Avenue, (212) 415-5760

Here you’ll find poetry and fiction readings given by Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award winners, as well as Poet Laureates. You’ll be able to buy books and get them signed by the writers, too. Get your tickets in advance online, if you can, because sometimes they will sell out.

McNally Robinson     

52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry), (212) 274-1160

This is a lively bookstore in SoHo with lots of varied and interesting events and readings. Both headliners and indies are booked here. There’s a café, too. And of course you can get your books signed by the authors. Sometimes there are even one-day writing workshops you can attend.

The Center for Book Arts

28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor, (212) 481-0295

Although a regular once a week reading series isn’t held here, the Center for Book Arts is a fun place to keep your eye on in case a reading is being held when you’re in town. Classes for bookmaking and book art are held regularly so there are always really interesting exhibits to see when you’re mulling around before and after readings. And if there’s not a reading while you’re here, you might want to stop in just to see the cool books on display.

Barnes & Noble

Union Square–33 East 17th Street, (212) 253-0810

Chelsea–675 6th Avenue—(212) 727-1227

There are lots of great readings in the numerous B&Ns around NYC. The stores at Union Square and Chelsea host particularly good ones. Don’t expect to hear poetry at the chains though. You’ll hear fiction and nonfiction by well-known authors.

St. Mark’s Poetry Project at St. Marks Church

131 E. 10th St., (212) 674-0910

Now over 40 years old, the St. Mark’s Poetry Project has developed an esteemed and notorious reputation for happening poetry. There are open readings (ones in which everyone is invited to read), readings every Monday and Wednesday night, as well as a late Friday-night reading series. And the Poetry Project is housed in a spectacular 18th century church.

Bowery Poetry Club

308 Bowery, across from the old CBGB’s, (212) 614-0505

There is everything in this club: booze, café lattes, music, poetry, book parties, slam performance. And there’s lots of everything. Check out the very full schedule.

KBG Bar

85 East 4th Street

Good poetry and fiction are read almost every night of the week here. There is no admission fee. This is not a reading series that’s held in a noisy bar but a really crowded bar full of folks who have come specifically for a really good reading.

Women Poets at Barnard

417 Barnard Hall, 3009 Broadway, (212) 854-2116

This series, offered by Barnard College exclusively focusing on women poets, is a real treat. The setting is intimate and dignified, the poets tend to be brilliant, and there is always a very fancy spread (not just wine and cheese). There’s no admission fee and poets will gladly sign your books.

National Arts Club

15 Gramercy Park South, (212) 475-3424

Housed in an historic Gramercy Park mansion, the National Arts Club offers a taste of 19th century New York City. It’s a private club so take advantage of the book signings that are open to non-members.

The New School

66 West 12th Street, (212) 229-5488

An impressive array of events are held here. You’ll find readings by children’s authors as well as fiction forums and panel discussions on the state of small press publishing.Poets HouseI must mention this vibrant literary center and poetry archive even though it’s presently in the process of moving to the Battery Park area. Keep your eyes on its website for the grand opening.

The Poetry Society of America

PSA holds various readings and events around town. The Poetry Society of America also sponsors the Poetry in Motion broadsides that you see in the subway and buses.

Strand Bookstore

828 Broadway

12th Street and Broadway, (212) 473-1452

Besides miles of books, new and used, the 12th Street store holds readings and events. You might want to spend a full day at the Strand. This remarkable bookstore also has a rare bookroom that you’ll definitely want to visit if you’re interested in first editions.

192 Books

192 Tenth Avenue, (212) 225-4022

This is a teeny bookstore so make reservations for readings!

Housing Works Bookstore

126 Crosby Street, (212) 334-3324

This bookstore boasts of housing 45,000 new, used, and rare books. There’s a café with everything from lattes to beer to sandwiches. And it hosts great readings. But perhaps best of all, 100% of the profits made from sales are donated to in-need New Yorkers with HIV and AIDS.

Bookstores

Book Culture—formerly called Labyrinth Bookstore

536 West 112th Street, (212)865-1588

Book Culture has an excellent poetry collection to browse when you’re near Columbia University.

St. Mark’s Bookstore

31 Third Avenue, (212) 260-7853

This bookstore used to be located on St. Mark’s Place, hence its name. It still houses a good poetry section, and here you’ll see university press and small press books that you’ll find no place else.

Barnes & NobleUnion Square–33 East 17th Street, (212) 253-0810

This particular store has an excellent (for B&N) poetry section. You’ll find books at this location that other B&Ns won’t carry.

McNally Robinson

52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry), (212) 274-1160

This is a lively, airy bookstore in SoHo with lots of varied and interesting events and readings. There’s a café, too. This is the perfect bookstore to browse.
192 Books192 Tenth Avenue, (212) 225-4022

Although this is a teeny bookstore it carries just the books you’ll want to read.

Housing Works Bookstore

126 Crosby Street, (212) 334-3324

This bookstore boasts of housing 45,000 new, used, and rare books. There’s a café with everything from lattes to beer to sandwiches. And perhaps best of all, 100% of the profits are donated to in-need New Yorkers with HIV and AIDS.

Special Collections

New York Public Library – Humanities and Social Science Library

Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, (212) 930-0830

The Berg Collection”A selected list of American authors represented by choice and/or extensive manuscript holdings include Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Twain, James Russell Lowell, Henry James, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot (including the typescript/manuscript of “The Waste Land,” with Pound’s emendations), Marianne Moore, Louis Zukofsky, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Bellow, Julia Alvarez, Clark Coolidge, and Aï. Also present are the archives of Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, May Sarton, Laura Riding Jackson, Alfred Kazin, Kenneth Koch, and Paul Auster.” Enough for you?

American Academy of Arts and Letters

633 West 155 Street 212-368-5900

The archives houses original manuscripts by its members. And its membership has included Sherwood Anderson, Saul Bellow, Paul Bowles, and Gwendolyn Brooks, to name 4 of the 13,000 diseased artists, architects, writers and composers. Call first to find out about visiting the archives that you’re interested in.

Martine Bellen is a poet (www.martinebellen.com), editor (www.bookdoctorbellen.com), a native New Yorker and the editor of Poets, Readers and Writers for My Urban Sherpa.

Exploration

“I’ll have a glass of Cab”
“I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay”

Don’t take the easy way out, who knows you might be nicely rewarded with self-discovery and actually smile!

My former college roommate who lives in Chicago was in town a few weeks ago and we were able catch up and talk over dinner one night. It was important that I saw him and spend time with him as he is one of the smartest people I know. He’s extremely inquisitive, a wonderful listener and amazingly observant, and he always has a way of asking thought provoking questions. Over dinner we discussed many things, from the story behind The Traveling Wilbury’s to his recent trip to Tokyo, studying Japanese design, to my experience-working crush on Howell Mountain this fall, we caught up on the last two years of our lives. When our professional careers came up in conversation he asked me rather bluntly why I was a wine director, asking, “What is the best part of your job?” “Why do you do what you do?”
It was the second question that really moved me, “Why do you do what you do?” Wow, what a strong thought, what an insightful thought… it really hit deep. I didn’t hesitate though, I responded from the heart as I often do, explaining, “I do this to open people’s minds to new experiences, letting them explore themselves and take chances… letting people smile.”
There is so much wonderful wine in this world and in this city that in order to really appreciate it you must explore and try something new. At the upper reaches of the culinary world, wine directors and restaurateurs take the time to build a beverage program in which exploration and self-discovery are healthy byproducts of their hard work. It is what makes this world go around, exploration. It is what sent Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cartier and Henry Hudson on their way… it is the ability to take a risk and try to discover something new.
Now you might be saying this guy is crazy, how is he going to try to relate the discovery of the Americas with trying a glass of wine that I have never had before? Well, you might be right, I might be crazy, but I believe that one’s ability to step out of their comfort zone is what makes them a pioneer each and everyday, the ability to try something new to expand their horizons. Next time you are out at a nice restaurant, don’t be afraid to explore, don’t take the easy way out… Try something new, who knows you might be nicely rewarded with self-discovery and actually smile!

Stephen Paul Mancini
Wine & Spirits Director
Union Square Cafe

Stephen Paul Mancini offers observations, advice, and information to guests of Union Square Cafe and readers of My Urban Sherpa.

Leif Ove Andsnes and the NY Philharmonic – Janaury 17, 18, 19, 2008

Ticket holders for the three-day run of Leif Ove Andsnes and the NY Phil and their joyful presentation of Brahms Concerto No.2 in B-flat major for Piano and Orchestra, Op.83, are in for a treat. This wonderful composition of Brahms is lovingly played and a joy for the orchestra and the audience.  Andsnes’ talents are outstanding and well matched by the NY Phil, no surprise thanks in part to Riccardo Muti conducting. Delightful as Andsnes playing is, one of the greatest moments comes in  Andante movement when the orchestra drifts away ethereally.

It is a magical thing, when people come together and make more than the sum of their parts. We are spoiled here in NY because aside from the tremendous talent of the NY Phil  whom one can see so often,  are the regular visits of magical performers from all over the world.  And even so, with all this outstanding talent here in town – this performance is not to be missed.

January 17, 18 & 19, 2008.
Avery Fisher Hall
Lincoln Center

I Heart NYC

All the hot date spots are perpetually booked in this town every night of the week as it is, making February 14 a veritable nightmare for an ill-prepared lover. Every year I see ladies racing to nail salons while the gentlemen scurry about trying to snag a fresh bouquet for their sweetheart. Valentine’s Day is upon us. This year we want you to be prepared.

Raoul’s

80 Prince Street (Sullivan & Thompson Streets) 212-966-3518

Try to snag a table in the back garden, but any seat will do at this staple Soho den of French romance. Raoul’s was the first hip place on Prince Street and will most likely be the last. If my date takes me here he get points just for having good taste in restaurants… and women.

The River Café

1 Water Street, Brooklyn  212-522-5200
This gem is located under the Brooklyn bridge lending patrons the most breathtaking views of Manhattan’s skyline short of flying past it via jet. I find it nearly impossible not to fall in love any time I dine here. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a grand piano and delicious fare are the recipe for a Valentine’s Day never to be forgotten.

Savoy

70 Prince Street (Crosby & Lafayette Streets)  212-219-8570
The fireplace crackles. The lights are dim. You can even reserve the chef’s special menu in advance, which will surely make an impression on your date.

Gramercy Tavern

42 East 20th Street (Park Avenue South & Broadway)  212-477-0777
Find sanctuary in NYC’s classiest tavern. The décor has a rustic charm providing a welcome escape from concrete Manhattan. The fine American cuisine will take your taste buds on a little trip as well, to lovers-land.

One If By Land, Two If By Sea

17 Barrow Street (7th Avenue South & W. 4th Street)  212-228-0822
One of New York’s most renowned romantic restaurants. This former carriage house features mood lighting, fire places, live piano and exposed brick walls. It is the perfect platform for a superb Valentine’s dinner.

Just because it is Valentine’s Day does not mean you have to break the bank. The following love-adept restaurants will have your date swooning, while keeping your wallet a little heavier:

Vespa

1625 2nd Avenue at 84th Street  212-472-2050
My favorite out-door garden in New York. A visit to Vespa is like being momentarily whisked off to Italy without the worry of jetlag or the bloody Euro. Don’t think just because it’s February the garden closes. Dozens of heat lamps keep you and your main squeeze warm while hearty pastas warm the belly and the heart. If it rains, not to worry, the inner décor is endearing and cozy. It is imperative not to miss the squash blossoms with goat cheese and citrus batter. They melt in your mouth like the kiss you’ll be having for desert.

Casimir

103 Avenue B. (6th & 7th Streets)  212-358-9683
This East Village French brasserie oozes with romance. It’s dimly lit with antique mirrors and old records lining the walls. There is a lounge area in the back if you want to sit back with a cocktail. I send everyone in need of a date spot here for some of the most superior mussels in Manhattan. At these prices, even the scattered service won’t deter you from getting romance-ready.

Cucina Italiana Paprika

110 St. Mark’s Place (1st Avenue & Avenue A)  212-677-6563
Prices are so reasonable at this cute comfort Italian on the always-exciting St. Mark’s Place that you might be able to splurge on extra roses.

Le Pere Pinard

175 Ludlow Street (Houston & Stanton Streets)  212-777-4917
This charming Lower East Side locale has all the appeal of a Paris bistro. Make sure to order the steak tartar, which is prepared tableside for a little entertainment followed by mouth-watering flavors.

Bar Jamon

125 East 17th Street @ Irving Place  212-253-2773
Snack on Spanish small plates at affordable prices created by the infamous chef Mario Batalli. If you and your honey enjoy ham, olives and wine then this place was made for you two.

Sarah Polonsky is a native New Yorker and journalist who has contributed to The New York Post, The National Enquirer, Life & Style and OK! Magazine. She happily shares her savoir faire and joie de vivre as an editor of My Urban Sherpa.

More about coffee. Who could tire of it?

There are few things in life as simple as a good cup of  joe. Every day, in virtually every country in the world, millions and millions of people enjoy a seemingly endless array of coffee.  I have set out to explore as many different kinds from as many different places as humanly possible. If it’s a bean or brewing method that I haven’t seen before, I’m going to try it.

One of the great things about New York City is that the world comes to you. So beans and brewing methods from across the globe can be found in the Big Apple – as long as you’re willing to look beyond the corner Starbucks and the 24-hour Dunkin Donuts.

These are some of my favorite coffee shops, old friends and new– a variety of coffeehouses, for the coffee snob like me.

1.    71 Irving Place Coffee and Tea Bar
71 Irving Place
212-995-5252

Any place that takes the time and makes the effort to get freshly roasted beans to the consumer the way that Irving Farm does gets kudos from me. The beans are roasted on a farm in upstate New York and then shipped down to Manhattan. You know for sure that these guys know their coffee and care about what they serve. There are several Starbucks in the Union Square area alone – but take a slight detour to Irving Place for a much more authentic coffee experience.

2.    The Mud Truck

Since we’re talking about Union Square – if you don’t head to 71 Irving Place, look for the bright orange Mud Truck – usually hanging out on the corner by Virgin Records. Unlike the brown sludge that most street vendors pass off as coffee, The Mud Truck takes its Arabica beans seriously. The novelty of the Mud Truck is taking off – four bright orange trucks now dot Manhattan streets. If you’re not keen on standing on a street corner waiting for a cup,  head to the flagship Kiehl’s store at 109 Third Avenue (13th Street), where the Mud Truck has set up shop indoors.

3.    Aroma Espresso Bar
160 Wooster Street

Israel’s answer to Starbucks recently hit NYC with the opening of the Aroma Espresso Bar in SoHo. Who knew the Israelis had such a knack for coffee? More European than you might think, Aroma consistently serves up a fresh brew – grinding its beans every 2-3 hours rather than pre-grinding every day like most places. Aroma makes my list for being open 24 hours, which is something you appreciate in NYC.

4.    Telegraphe Espresso Bar
107 West 18th Street

My favorite kinds of places are the holes-in-the-wall that you might miss this one if you blink as you walk down 18th street. I’m not the only one who walked passed Telegraphe on the way to the subway or to work without taking note. But when I finally did stop and look, I found a fantastic espresso in an oddly shaped space on a street known more for big box retailers than cozy cafes. Grab a seat by the window and sip your latte as you watch the people go by for a purely New York experience.

5.    Grey Dog Coffee
33 Carmine Street

Grey Dog reminds me of every little town in New England or the Pacific Northwest – where you taste the charm of the place almost as much as the coffee itself. The only difference of course is that when you walk out after getting your cup, you’re hit with the sounds and smells of New York and not some beach town in Maine or Oregon. Rustic charm gets me every time and Grey Dog’s House Blend doesn’t disappoint.

6.    Jack’s Stir Brewed Coffee
136 W. 10th Street

I can see how the organic/fair trade/shade grown thing might attract business. Socially conscious and environmentally friendly coffee is a big hit these days. But Jack’s reeled me in with a new brewing technique that is definitely worth the trip. Stirring the beans as the coffee is brewing results in a cleaner, more authentic flavor. It’s the kind of thing you wonder how it could have taken so long for someone to figure out. Jack’s is another hole-in-the-wall that serves an incredible cup in a hip, friendly environment that makes you wish you lived around the corner.

7.    Oren’s Daily Roast

Oren’s is a small chain that doesn’t really act like one. Since each store gives you the impression that it’s the only one, I find myself looking for Oren to pour a cup for me. Oren’s does what a small chain can do – they buy fresh beans and roast them at their own plant. The only way to get fresher coffee is to roast the beans in the store itself. It’s good to have such quality around as an answer to the inferior brews being peddled as “freshly roasted.”

8.    Porto Rico Importing Co.
201 Bleeker Street

If you casually glance inside, you’ll see giant burlap sacks of coffee in organized stacks all over the floor. But if you trek a little further inside, you’ll see a tiny bar in the back where you can get a great cup of coffee. These guys know everything you need to know about the almighty bean. I owe a friend of mine a debt of gratitude for taking me to Porto Rico for the first time – because if I’m even close, I’ll make the trip over for a cup. This is also a perfect place to try creating your own blends as the coffee experts will guide you to what works well together and what surely doesn’t.

9.    Café Grumpy
224 West 20th Street

Relatively new to the coffee scene in Manhattan, Café Grumpy serves up one of the most unique brews I have ever tasted. Going completely against the Starbucks grain of quick-serve coffee, Café Grumpy makes sure you get the best cup you can possibly get. They do this with the Clover machine – the coolest thing I have seen in a coffee shop. Although it takes 40 seconds to get your cup, it comes out exactly how you want it. No guessing game here – you give your specs to the barista and 40 seconds later, out it comes. Apparently these machines are ridiculously expensive, but I hope more places start using them.

10.    McNulty’s Coffee and Tea Company
109 Christopher Street

I’m cheating here and I accept full responsibility for doing so. McNulty’s has been around since 1895 but to my knowledge, they do not serve coffee in the store. They do however sell some first class beans and they know their stuff. So McNulty’s makes my list because of a little device called the French Press. If you’re in NYC for business or pleasure, that cheap little coffeemaker in your hotel room just isn’t going to satisfy you. This is where McNulty’s comes in. Head down to the village and pick up a French Press and a pound of coffee. You’ll be living it up every morning while the guy next door is drinking the sludge from the hotel restaurant. All you need is some hot water, which you can conveniently get from the aforementioned cheap hotel coffeemaker.

Jeff Mandell is a coffee fanatic who, sneaking sips of his mother’s coffee as a child, was under the impression that it would stunt his growth. Overcoming that popular parental coffee myth, Jeff downed gallons upon gallons of brewed delights in college before becoming a Starbucks barista. That experience opened his eyes to the world of coffee that he has been exploring ever since.

A delicious cup of coffee.

Everyone is talking about New Years resolutions. All this talk of diet and exercise is making me tired. So I started thinking about having a cup of coffee.

I love a delicious cup of coffee. I like it served to me with a smile. I like to drink it in a comfortable place, a calm and well decorated place that offers a clean bathroom.  Taking the time to have a cup of coffee in the day is a luxury – so I like to pick a place that offers a moment to relax, a quiet place where one can read the paper without any phones ringing, or singing, or gurgling…

For me, the antithesis of the lovely coffee shop I’ve described above is Starbucks.  New Yorkers are demanding, exacting and jaded – but we’ve fallen for the burnt tasting, overpriced, clumsily handled coffee of Starbuck’s, a chain that doesn’t offer comfortable seating, complimentary Wi-fi, clean bathrooms nor a bargain price. The magic of Starbuck’s is their ability to build a mega-brand without a quality product, good service, or competitive price.

The other morning I had a cup of coffee that was so delicious, the environment so delightful that I felt transported to the corner cafe of the 15th arrondisement.  There were lovely pastries and croissant, a perfectly made cup of coffee, comfortable seating, lovely fellow diners – several parents with angelic little ones, complimentary Wi-fi, and a pristine bathroom. So on the chance that you too would prefer a coffee shop run by the proprietor with love and care, I thought I would share a short list of these places I’ve stumbled upon, and am always delighted to return to.

Chelsea:  La Bergamote
169 9th Avenue (corner of 20th) New York, NY 10011, 212.627.9010

Joe’s

9 East 13th Street

141 Waverly Place

130 Greene Street

Midtown – Kinokuniya, coffee, Forte teas and Bento boxes overlooking Bryant Park from the 2nd floor of this excellent Japanesebookstore.

1073 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10018, 212.869.1700

Southstreet – Café Dodo – 45 Peck Slip

The next best thing to the charming little gems above is Pain Quotidienne. These Belgian bakeries are popping up all over and offer, sincerely, a delicious cup of coffee. There are several midtown locations, as well as Upper East Side and Upper West Side.